[AngieH]

Hi everyone!

Well, I will be off to Egypt next week, we are leaving on Tuesday the 2nd, arriving on the 3rd. Life is super hectic right now, trying to spend as much time with family as possible, while working on packing all of our belongings as we are having them shipped next monday.

Anyways, I thought many of you may be able to help me with this question, since quite a few of you are from England. We will have a layover at Heathrow that is only about 2 hours long. We have never been to this airport, as we usually stop over in Amsterdam, and have NO idea where we will need to go once we are there. We have 3 young children and a handful of bags we will need to haul around....just wondering if 2 hours is enough time to find our way to wherever we will need to be, and be able to make our flight. Usually you need to be at your gate at least 30-40 minutes prior to flight time, I am just worried that we will not make it, since we will have to find our way around the airport for the first time.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[Sam]

Hi everyone!

Well, I will be off to Egypt next week, we are leaving on Tuesday the 2nd, arriving on the 3rd. Life is super hectic right now, trying to spend as much time with family as possible, while working on packing all of our belongings as we are having them shipped next monday.

Anyways, I thought many of you may be able to help me with this question, since quite a few of you are from England. We will have a layover at Heathrow that is only about 2 hours long. We have never been to this airport, as we usually stop over in Amsterdam, and have NO idea where we will need to go once we are there. We have 3 young children and a handful of bags we will need to haul around....just wondering if 2 hours is enough time to find our way to wherever we will need to be, and be able to make our flight. Usually you need to be at your gate at least 30-40 minutes prior to flight time, I am just worried that we will not make it, since we will have to find our way around the airport for the first time.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Sounds like plenty of time to me - and usually there is a record of people changing over flights or some kind of knowledge so they will make sure you catch the next plane. The only time I've ever done a stop over was London-Zurich-Bangkok and the first flight was late, so when we arrived in Zurich we literally got off one plane, ran through the airport and the next was waiting for us. But as I say it all seemed pretty organised and no problems, even though it was an airport we'd never been to before. We spent less than half hour in Zurich before flying again, no problems.

Anyway, about Heathrow. All you need to concentrate on is the terminals. Check which terminal you will land in and which you will fly from, and also the times in which you land. There is a connecting bus between the two terminals, but it doesn't run in the very early morning, if I remember rightly. Or you may be arriving an leaving from the same terminal, which makes it even more simple. Check also with the airline carriers if your baggage will transfer directly, again when I did connecting flights it was transferred from plane to plane and I never had to collect it between, but it may be different for you.

The airport is very well signposted - and at all hours I've been there have always been plenty of staff around to point you in the right direction if you are unsure. Don't worry about it, you will find your flight easily.

Good luck and happy travelling x

 

[MaidenScotland]

Hi everyone!

Well, I will be off to Egypt next week, we are leaving on Tuesday the 2nd, arriving on the 3rd. Life is super hectic right now, trying to spend as much time with family as possible, while working on packing all of our belongings as we are having them shipped next monday.

Anyways, I thought many of you may be able to help me with this question, since quite a few of you are from England. We will have a layover at Heathrow that is only about 2 hours long. We have never been to this airport, as we usually stop over in Amsterdam, and have NO idea where we will need to go once we are there. We have 3 young children and a handful of bags we will need to haul around....just wondering if 2 hours is enough time to find our way to wherever we will need to be, and be able to make our flight. Usually you need to be at your gate at least 30-40 minutes prior to flight time, I am just worried that we will not make it, since we will have to find our way around the airport for the first time.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Hi Angie,

I stopped using Heathrow for the simple reason it was/is a nightmare and now use KLM and have my stop over in Amsterdam, at Schipol when you have a connecting flight the security you go through is for your gate only, Heathrow is or was security for every gate.. i.e every flight is going through a main security section.
This may have changed but I would think in light of the Christmas day attempt security will be beefed up even more.
Two hours should be enough but don't loiter make for your terminal and gate straight away, if your plane is landing late your connecting flight will be told.
Heathrow is modern, big and well signposted with lots of staff, you will not get lost.
Have a safe journey and we look forward to saying
"Welcome in Egypt"

Maiden

 

[MensEtManus]

I've done the USA -> Cairo trip quite a few times If you are transferring between terminals in heathrow, two hours is "tight." If you are not transferring between terminals, then 2 hours should be quite ok. I used to always need to transfer to terminal 4 for Cairo. I think nowadays, it is terminal 5 in heathrow that takes you to Cairo (via BA).

My experience using BA from the NY, Boston and DC airports to Heathrow have always been late. On the plus side, the Cairo plane always seems to depart late. So sometimes that helps offset arriving late from the US.

Here are a few things you need to check:
1) Make sure when you check in at the airpot you tell the representative that all bags go directly to Cairo
2) Get your tickets for the second leg from the airport in the USA (seats assigned, etc.)
3) Once you arrive in heathrow, follow the signs "connecting flights"
4) Be familiar with the terminal you are arriving in heathrow.
5) Be familiar with the terminal you need to go to catch your flight to Cairo
6) Do not walk - speed walk.
7) Sometimes the lines to enter the terminal can last over 90 minutes. On average, it has always taken me around 45 minutes (they do the same checks as the USA: so take off jacket, shoes, belts, etc.)
8) Just walking to particular gates takes another 20 or so minutes

9) VERY IMPORTANT: BA reps have the authority to let you use the business line (instead of the economy line) when and if your plane departs within 45 minutes. In other words, if you see yourself at the end of the line to switch terminals and you are going to miss it, start showing your tickets to a BA rep and make him/her let you jump the line.

In short, worrying from finding your way around is not the issue. The issue is if you are transferring from one terminal to another and it just happens that the line you are in is LONG.

 

[Tinytraveler]

If you have 3 little kids I think it is going to be hard on you. If you are flying BA we had great help as they took some extra carry ons from us to lighten our load with out charging us for them as extra luggage. They also had plenty of people to help guide us where to go next in the airport so that wasn't a problem at all. If you have a little one on the bottle still make sure to feed him just before getting off the plane because we brought the premixed formula bottles on board with some snacks from America and in GB they took that bag from us at the security point and had it put with the checked luggage. There is a pharmacy after the security check point that sells formula but if you are only having 2 hours you may not have time to replace anything taken from you. We were also asked to fold up our stroller and have it run through the scanner thing that bags go through.